Peter 3:19
Peter 3:19
Common has been the opinion that Christ’s descent into hell is here referred to; but the words mean no such thing; for there is no mention made of the soul of Christ, but only that he went by the Spirit: and these are very different things, that Christ’s soul went, and that Christ preached by the power of the Spirit.
The Harrowing of Hell
The “harrowing of hell” first appeared in fourth-century formulas and eventually was incorporated into the Apostles’, Athanasian, and Nicene Creeds. The concept that Jesus descended into hades between His crucifixion and resurrection is based on New Testament references to resurrection “from the dead,” not just “from death” (Matt 17:9; Luke 24:5; Acts 4:10; Rom 4:24; 1 Cor 15:20). The idea is also reflected in early Christian texts such as the Shepherd of Hermas and the writings of Justin Martyr and Irenaeus describing Jesus’ descent in terms of a saving mission.
This concept continued to be developed throughout church history. For example, medieval writers like Abelard spoke of Jesus’ power invading hell, and Aquinas described Jesus’ mission to deal with saints and sinners in Purgatory and Limbo (Summa Theologiæ III.52.2, 4–8). Luther described Jesus’ descent in twofold terms: 1) as vicarious identification with the sinner, and 2) as victor over hell (Luther, “Tourgau Sermon on Christ’s Descent into Hell”; see Kolb and Nestingen, Sources and Contexts, 245–55). Calvin especially emphasized the vicarious suffering of our torments (Institutes II.6.8, compare Heb 5:7–8). However, Bucer and Bezer saw this descent as a mere metaphor for “grave.”
and these are very different things, that Christ’s soul went, and that Christ preached by the power of the Spirit.
Then Peter expressly mentioned the Spirit, that he might take away the notion of what may be called a real presence.
First, Peter says that Christ went to spirits, by which he means souls separated from their bodies, for living men are never called spirits;
Christ’s proclamation to the fallen angels was not the offer of a second chance but the announcement of his complete and final victory over the power of sin and Satan. By his death and resurrection Christ had “disarmed the powers and authorities” and “made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Col. 2:15). The victory was proclaimed to the fallen angels during the period between the death of Jesus and his resurrection three days later. At the end of time every knee shall bow before him—even those “under the earth”—and every tongue shall confess his Lordship (Phil. 2:10–11).
Moreover, the strange notion of those who think that unbelievers as to the coming of Christ, were after his death freed from their sin, needs no long refutation; for it is an indubitable doctrine of Scripture, that we obtain not salvation in Christ except by faith; then there is no hope left for those who continue to death unbelieving. They speak what is somewhat more probable, who say, that the redemption obtained by Christ availed the dead, who in the time of Noah were long unbelieving, but repented a short time before they were drowned by the deluge. They then understood that they suffered in the flesh the punishment due to their perverseness, and yet were saved by Christ, so that they did not perish for ever. But this interpretation cannot stand; it is indeed inconsistent with the words of the passage, for Peter ascribes salvation only to the family of Noah, and gives over to ruin all who were not within the ark.
At this point, however, the discussion becomes highly complex and controversial. It has led to three main views: (1) the descent-into-hell view, (2) the preexistent Christ view, and (3) the triumphal proclamation over the spirit-world view. Rather than seeking to defend or to refute any of these views at length, I will briefly explain each view and show how each position fits into the overall theme of this section in 1 Peter.
After having then said that Christ was manifested to the dead, he immediately adds, When there were formerly unbelievers; by which he intimated, that it was no injury to the holy fathers that they were almost hidden through the vast number of the ungodly. For he meets, as I think, a doubt, which might have harassed the faithful of that day. They saw almost the whole world filled with unbelievers, that they enjoyed all authority, and that life was in their power. This trial might have shaken the confidence of those who were shut up, as it were, under the sentence of death. Therefore Peter reminds them, that the condition of the fathers was not different, and that though the multitude of the ungodly then covered the whole earth, their life was yet preserved in safety by the power of God.
He then comforted the godly, lest they should be cast down and destroyed because they were so few; and he chose an example the most remarkable in antiquity, even that of the world drowned by the deluge; for then in the common ruin of mankind, the family of Noah alone escaped. And he points out the manner, and says that it was a kind of baptism. There is then in this respect also nothing unsuitable.
The sum of what is said is this, that the world has always been full of unbelievers, but that the godly ought not to be terrified by their vast number; for though Noah was surrounded on every side by the ungodly, and had very few as his friends, he was not yet drawn aside from the right course of his faith.